Chapter One: Introduction
I received a free copy of this software from the publisher for review — thanks Kagura Games! For the purposes of this review, I will only discuss the patched version of the game.
Chapter Two: Gameplay (3/5★)
Section One: Overview
Serafina and the Key to the Egg is a race against time to earn enough money to secure a winning bid for the Key to the Egg. If Serafina doesn’t have the money by “Day 80”, it’s game over. Upon starting a new game, you may choose to carry over your inventory, money and stats. This mechanic allows experimentation with optional jobs (such as prostitution) without stressing about the time limit. Even on “Normal”, it’s necessary to spend most, if not all available days grinding “quests”. But if you don’t want to focus on combat, reducing the difficulty can trivialize the need to level-up.
Section Two: Exploration
Quests are streamlined as a menu-based system with random encounters — mostly fights.
To progress, Serafina must expend “health points” (or “HP”) and “stamina”. The number of HP lost while exploring is based on her remaining stamina. As quests grow in length, you will have no choice but to bring a surplus of healing items as a sort of life support to progress.
Section Three: Combat
Despite Serafina and the Key to the Egg only having one playable character, her toolbox for battle is bare bones. Combat is little more than “attack, heal and attack”. Eventually, combat devolves into holding “Enter” to automate battle and pass the time.
Magic attacks offer some variety, but magic is too expensive for offense until the end of the game. Serafina can learn new attacks upon leveling up, but they’re just stronger versions of pre-existing attacks — insuring combat stays the same (really, really repetitive).
Section Four: Balancing
I played Serafina and the Key to the Egg on “Normal” difficulty. By “Day 40”, there were no longer any opponents that could offer me a challenge. I raised all of the money I needed by “Day 55” and I skipped ahead to “Day 80”. . . only to be crushed by the final boss.
At that point, I didn’t feel bad turning down the difficulty setting. Reloading my save from Day 55 to repeat quests for extra level-ups sounded tortuous — I was already bored with the game.
Without careful gameplay (or save scumming), It’s difficult to avoid at least a few loses. When choosing quests, it’s easy to choose opponents that are too high level or counter your playstyle. Sometimes, opponents chain devastating attacks that can nearly one-shot Serafina.
Fortunately, Serafina and the Key to the Egg offers some leeway for defeat. Most defeats simply result in lost time. However, losing during some quests will result in Serafina’s capture, leading into difficult side-quest where she must escape without her inventory or equipment.
Chapter Three: Sexual Content (5/5★)
Section One: Content
I didn’t see a single consensual sex-scene in the game — but that’s not to say there isn’t consenting sex! For example, prostitution is a method for earning money without entering battle.
Serafina is unavoidably groped by nearly every enemy in the game, including humans, slimes and tentacle monsters. When she is defeated and raped by monsters, there’s a possibility she will be impregnated. Impregnation introduces cosmetic changes to all of Serafina’s graphics, including those used in combat and sex-scenes. Days later, her tummy is reset after a birthing scene.
Section Two: Implementation
After losing her virginity Serafina has the option to sell her body in the “Brothel”. The amount of money she earns is based on her “Appeal”, which can be raised by equipping “Perfumes” and spending “skill points” on the appropriate skills. Skill points are acquired by defeating enemies to level-up. Otherwise earning money as a prostitute is as simple as watching sex-scenes.
That are two resources which protect Serafina from sexual advances during battle; “EP” (or what I presume to be “Erotic Points”) and her clothes. Enemies will may either choose to grope her, consuming EP, or attack her clothes, reducing her defense — until ultimately, raping her.
If Serafina’s EP is reduced to “zero”, she will be forced to orgasm, resulting in a dramatic (but temporary) lose of combat ability. When all of her clothes are destroyed, she will repeatedly “pinned down”. If she fails fails to escape before taking lethal damage, a rape scene will play. What happens next varies by battle, but defeat rarely results in a “game over”.
As a matter of fact, I think there is only one rape scene in the game that must be avoided — the last one. Most of the time, rape simply resets quest progress. However, some losing to certain enemies may result in a form of capture. When Serafina is captured, escape entails a difficult side quest without her inventory or equipment. Given the time restraints of the game, a capture can spiral into a “game over” if Serafina doesn’t escape in time.
Section Three: Interactivity
Beyond clicking through dialogue, there is no interactivity to found in sex-scenes. However, if you’d like to increase the frequency of sexual content, there are mechanics intended to facilitate Serafina’s violation. For example, she can “Give Up” to immediately lose any battle.
Section Four: Quality
Despite the same CGs playing throughout the game, they didn’t get old; the artwork is phenomenal, and Serafina is ridiculously hot. It’s fun watching her clothes tear during battle, and I loved to see her “ready for combat” pose cycle through lewd alternatives.
Chapter Four: Story (2/5★)
Section One: Plot
Serafina has been tasked by her village to secure the “Key to the Egg”. The Key allows control of “the Demon Lord’s Egg”, responsible for “chaos [in] the world in the distant past”.
Don’t get too excited — the Demon Lord’s Egg is never controlled. It’s not even shown.
Before Serafina was born, the Key was stolen. Her childhood rival, Ange has found the long lost heirloom in the city of Mirado, slated to be auctioned off. Desiring “absolute control” of the village, she ran away from home to claim the Key for herself. For reasons never explained, Ange sends Serafina a “visa”, granting a temporary stay in the city. The auction is in eighty days — but Serafina’s visa is only good for ten.
The remainder of the story is her fight to extend her stay while preparing to outbid Ange.
Chapter Five: Sound (3/5★)
Section One: Soundtrack
The music is alright. I wasn’t “wowed” by the orchestic tracks, but they’re an appropriate mix for the game. They put me in the mood for cutting down enemies — and being raped too I guess.
Section Two: Sound Effects
Stock RPGMaker sounds fail to impress, but the default effects are nonetheless pleasant. I liked the obscene, squelching noises played whenever Serafina is sexually assaulted.
Section Three: Voice Acting
There is no voice acting in this game.
Chapter Six: Visuals (3/5★)
Section One: User-interface
The interface is graphically engaging with fantasy-themed graphics. Serafina herself regularly makes an appearance, doubling as a visual representation of her current status. From the “Options” menu, you may reconfigure keys and adjust audio preferences The “F4” key will full-screen the application and “F3” will toggle resolution, but neither operation is advertised in-game. Gameplay and visual preferences are adjustable via “Config”, only accessible in-game whenever the menu is available.
Section Two: Graphics
The artwork is a mixed bag. Backgrounds are a combination of 3D renderings, paintings and photographs, producing a disconnect in visual consistency. The cast are worse off: they’re are a mix of blurry sprites, silhouettes and scantily clad anime women. Clearly, Hasoyua didn’t even try to maintain consistency among visual assets seen in the game,
Chapter Seven: Verdict (3/5★)
Serafina and the Key to the Egg is a monotonous RPG, but the sexual content is pretty hot. To complete the game, combat is unavoidable. Between the “Arena” and final boss, the foes that lie ahead are no push-overs, even at “normal” difficulty. Chances are, you’ll need to carry over your stats into a new game if you don’t aggressively efficiently grind and avoid unnecessary sexual content. Most of the time, I was simply going through the motions — I completed the same quests again and again to grind for money and experience points. Yet, despite seeing the same sexual CGs, they never got old — Serafina is really hot, and the artwork is really something. If you play this game as you would a traditional RPG, you’ll be disappointed. But if you’re prepared to lose and replay the story a few times, I think you’ll enjoy what Serafina’s body has to offer.
